Neopian Mythology Lesson
by Morgana
Summary: A little education on where some Neopets came from... especially useful because of Meridell. May seem dry, but I was trying out a new perspective.


Neopian Mythology Lesson:  
The Real Medieval Pets  
  
by morgana52  
  
  
Thank you for coming to our lecture. Today we're going to learn about NeoPets that have their roots in medieval mythology. Sit down and we'll begin. You in the back, I said sit down! Ah, here comes our guest speaker now. Remember, be quiet and polite!  
  
  
Before the Ixi, before the Draik, other Neopians originated in Middle Ages mythology. The Skeith, the Scorchio, the Shoyru, and perhaps even the Zafara trace their roots to dragons nearly as clearly as Draiks. Then there are wildcards: species like the Eyrie, Uni, and Peophin that bear as striking a resemblance to certain fantasy creatures as the Ixi does to a faun. Now pay close attention, class, and you will learn about the roots of medieval myth in Neopia.  
  
HERE THERE BE DRAGONS: Stories of these huge, fire-breathing reptiles vary greatly, often by their point of origin. One type of dragons has influenced Neopia the most: the European dragon. These terrifying medieval dragons wouldn't hesitate to capture and eat defenseless maidens. Gigantic in proportions, almost always black, red, green, or blue, this wyrm's leathery wings and fire-breath are its most lasting legacies. Also, it gained infamy for its nearly impenetrable scales and had only two weaknesses: the area of its heart, and warm milk. Neopian counterparts of the European dragon are the Skeith and the Scorchio. Skeiths display the laziness and appetite, as well as the size; Scorchios, of course, are gifted with the scales and fire-breathing. Obviously, there is one more Neopian that resembles the European dragon more than either of the other two, but we won't discuss the Draik too much here, as we still don't know much about its habits. Let's hope they're nothing like its terrifying ancestors.  
  
Chinese dragons, on the other hand, were not terrors; they were guardians, magical not only by nature, but also able to perform magic if they chose. Long and snake-like, Chinese dragons nearly always opted out of wings for less mundane means of flight. They have no direct descendants in Neopia, but introduced the important idea that dragons could be intelligent, and create instead of destroy.  
  
The final main type of dragon is not medieval at all. It does spring from medieval myth, though. The modern dragon is sometimes good, sometimes evil, and sometimes in between. It often appears in role-plays such as Dungeons and Dragons and in books, poems, video and computer games, and other fantasy settings. Whole collections have been devoted to it; undoubtedly this is the creature everyone thinks of when they think of mythology. In some ways a combination of the body of the European dragon and the good intentions of the Chinese dragon, the modern dragon has large, leathery wings, a sleek, scaled body, and a horned or otherwise plated face. Sometimes it does not even breath fire, but ice or some other weapon! It often surpasses humans in intelligence, likes shiny things, and is sleek and fast. Listen to the last part: this would definitely be the Shoyru. It comes as no surprise that Shoyrus are Neopia's most popular pets when you consider the many appearances of modern dragons in fantasy stories.  
  
GRIFFINS AND UNICORNS AND HIPPOCANTHS: OH, MY. Griffin, gryffin, gryphon, griffon: however you spell it, this half-eagle, half-lion creature is reasonable well-known (and my personal favorite). In medieval mythology, they often lived in caves with large hoards of gold and hunted large prey. Their favorite meals were horse and the delicacy of unicorn (discussed below). Not all griffins could bring down a unicorn, as they vary greatly in size, from smaller than a goat to twice the size of a horse. Generally, though, they share the head, chest, fore-talons, and wings of an eagle, although their head is not completely raptor (they have visible ears). Their belly, hindquarters, and tail are those of a lion; however, these attributes are often mixed around quite a bit by modern writers. Some griffins are merely four-legged eagles, and some have only the eagle's head and wings to distinguish them from pure lions. This last type fits (you guessed it) the Eyrie. Eyrie owners need not worry that their pet might bring down a Uni one day, however much their ancestors liked horse. Modern NeoPets are greatly discouraged from eating their own fellow Neopians, although some will never learn (*cough, cough* Lupes). By the way, "eyrie" is a term often used for a griffin's nest; young griffins are gryphlets, kittens, or chicks; and a group of griffins is called a flight, but they are usually solitary anyway. Griffins range from fully sentient (that is, as independent and intelligent as a human) to savage beasts only smart enough to guard something for a more powerful wizard. When they are sentient, they can speak with a lisp or even thought-speak. After all, their powerful beaks, while well-suited to bringing down prey, cannot form human words very well. Once again, though, Eyrie owners need not worry. Their pet obviously has a more well-formed beak.  
  
The unicorn, or, in Neopia, the Uni, is simply a horse with cloven hooves and a distinctive spiral horn in the center of its forehead. Most unicorns have a beard and a lion-like tail as well, although not all. They can range from the intelligence of a horse (not impressive) to fully-fledged, telepathic or thought-speaking people. They live in forests or on plains, and often become docile when handled by young girls. To support the idea that they are pure creatures, many unicorns are white. However, as with all mythology, there are few hard and fast rules, especially with color.  
  
One of the very rigid rules, though, and an awfully common mistake, is that unicorns do not have wings. Pegasi, not unicorns, are winged horses. Thus, Neopia's Uni is actually a combination of a unicorn and pegasus.  
  
A common theory for the origin of unicorns is that the horns of narwhal (a type of whale) were found washed up on the shore, and whimsy took over from there. This may not apply to NeoPets, however. Or are Unis really just figments of our imaginations, conjured up by Flotsam horns? You never know!  
  
Next, we'll cover the Peophin. Now what could a Peophin have to do with medieval mythology? you wonder. Well - prepare to be surprised - Peophins are almost exact copies of a little-known cousin of the hippogriff and mermaid! That's right, it's the hippocanth. This half-horse, half-fish is a literal "sea horse". The head and front feet of a horse may have been uncomfortable in their chosen home of the ocean, but their powerful fish tails made up for the limited swimming ability of their equine half. Although they are not generally considered able to think for themselves, hippocanths occasionally served as mounts for merpeople or water nymphs. Peophins are the exception; they are, of course, fully as intelligent as the rest of Neopia, at least if they read enough books!  
  
Remember when I mentioned the Ixi's similarity to a faun? Well, fauns were actually pre-medieval, from Greek mythology, in fact. They had the head, chest, and beard of a man and the legs and tail of a goat. They often danced through fields, playing shepherd's pipes and reveling with Dionysus, the god of wine. Ixis are more fully goat, but they have the intelligence. And, of course, there are female Ixis, not just males. One wonders whether Ixi owners will discover their new pets have a tendency to play flutes and drink large quantities of fruit juice.  
  
In today's lecture, we have gone over the several species of mythological dragons, as well as griffins, unicorns, hippocanths, and fauns. We've also explored the NeoPets descended from these creatures, the Scorchio, Skeith, Draik, Shoyru, Eyrie, Uni, Peophin, and Ixi. Perhaps someday these pets (excluding the Draik and Ixi, who are already surrounded by publicity) will be hailed as the medieval pets who have been here all along. Certainly this hoopla over the new world can bring attention to their heritage. Perhaps, just perhaps, knowing more about these pet's ancestors can shed some light on their habits in modern Neopia.  
  
Well, that's all we are going to cover for today. I must go; I have other appointments, you know! Thank you for being such a great audience.  
  
  
Well, you heard the Lenny! You can leave now! Oh, I suppose you want some references, eh? Well, all right. For further information, consult:  
  
The Encyclopedia Mythica: http://www.encyclopediamythica.org  
Here There Be Dragons and Here There Be Unicorns by Jane Yolen  
The Gryphon Guild: http://www.gryphonguild.org 


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